Naruto: Cooking Ninja
by Berserker B
Summary: Au. Naruto is unexpectedly placed in the world of ninja. Not only that, but he recieves training from an unlikely source from a young woman who just happens to apply cooking and fighting together.
1. Just the beginning

Author's Note: This is my first "real" fan fiction. I hope you (the fans) enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

**Chapter 1: Just the Beginning**

He watched the crowd pass him, with his eyes looking slightly to the ground. He checked his watch, 11:59, just one more minute. He scanned the ground slowly, taking in the sounds and smells of the world around him; all he saw was crowds of feet on the paved road. Suddenly, the door next to him opened and out came a middle-aged man. He was dressed nice but nothing fancy. His face was clean cut, his partly balding head shined slightly in the sun, and one could smell strong cologne if one stood close by. The man walked with the crowd, as he did everyday, towards his store downtown. He never noticed that someone was following him.

He had watched him for some time now. The middle-aged man always left his home at noon to open his store downtown. He walked behind him, not too close to be noticed, but not too far as to lose his target. He knew the middle-aged man would soon stop. He liked to pick up dumplings for lunch and that was when it would happen. For now, he kept himself hidden in the crowd. A few minutes later the man stopped at the corner dumpling stand just like everyday, he flirted with the female vendor just like everyday, and he reached into his coat for his wallet just like every… Snatch!

He ran. He ran fast and never dared look back at his pursuer. That was rule number 2 of thievery, 'never look back.' Rule 1 was of course, 'never get caught.' He ran through the crowd, ducking between people's legs and pushing those that he could out of the way. He made a sharp turn into an open door and rushed into the kitchen of someone's house. The current occupant was a young woman who screamed loudly the moment she saw him. He dashed through the opposite doorway but not before grabbing a rice ball from the table. He dashed out the front door, ignoring the yells of "thief" behind him. The crowd on this street was thin and he easily slipped around anyone in his way. He dashed into a small alley and climbed the wall. From the wall, he climbed up onto the rooftops of the houses, stopping for a second to listen to the world around him. He could hear some yelling and it sounded like footsteps were nearby, but he was certain no one saw him come up here. Nevertheless, he knew what would happen if somebody caught him. He wasn't about to risk drawing attention by climbing down or jumping to another roof.

There he sat, alone on the rooftop. He pulled the rice ball from his pocket and took a bite. The filling was tuna, not his favorite, but not bad. He took the man's wallet from his other pocket and opened it to see his haul. Inside was a photo ID of the man (with an ugly picture), a few business cards, and a few family photos. Finally he found what he wanted – the money. He flipped through the bills and counted about 20,000 yen (200). A smile crept over his face as he chewed more of his stolen rice ball. This was a good haul. With this, he could finally buy some food and some new clothes. Although his current clothes were not in shambles, he would have to ditch his current attire or risk the chance of someone recognizing him. Until then, he would hide out on the rooftops, alone with his rice ball.

His name was Naruto. He was eleven years old and had lived in poverty for most of his life. For over half his life, he lived from one foster home to another. No one kept him for long, and no one ever told him why. He assumed it was because he was a bad kid, why else would so many of his foster parents look at him with those eyes? He did not know what to call that look; it was a mixture of fear, loathing, and anger rolled into one. Eventually he stopped regarding them as his "parents" and began to consider them as obligated roommates. He decided to run away when his last foster parent almost killed him while he was in bed. Ever since, he has kept to the streets to make a living. He continued to live on the streets until he received an unexpected present from some distant relative he never knew he had. He received an economic studio apartment that was to remain his as long as he stayed in school.

Naruto awoke to the sound of distant thunder. He must have dozed off while waiting for things to quiet down. He stretched out his stiff limbs, checked his pocket for his newfound wallet, and found his way off the roof. He walked quickly down the darkening streets where people were becoming few and far between. The sound of thunder was getting closer and he hated the idea of walking in a thunderstorm so he decided to run home. His running didn't help him for a few minutes later the sky began to rain. Naruto cursed his luck as he sprinted through the rainy streets. He hated the rain, he always had. He wasn't scared of thunder or lightening, but the touch, smell, and sight of rain made him feel uneasy.

After a few uneasy minutes in the rain, Naruto came up to small apartment complex. The complex itself wasn't shabby, but one look and it was plain to see that the apartments were cheap. Naruto reached into his coat pocket to fish for his keys when he heard a small splash behind him. He quickly turned in the direction of the sound, but saw no one. Slowly he turned his head back to the door and slipped his key into the lock. He had no time to turn it before feeling his feet leave the ground as he flew back. He barely had time to comprehend the world around him before a fist struck his right check. His unknown attacker lifted Naruto to his feet and he fell just as quickly after a knee in the stomach. He fell to his knees, his hands clutching his stomach with a little blood dripping from his mouth. He barely had time to look up before his attacker's leg struck the side of his head, sending him back to the ground.

Naruto thought he heard him say something, but due to his disorienting dizziness, he could not make it out clearly. The attacker rolled him onto his back and Naruto felt something cold touch his neck. He faintly heard the words "monster" and "die" but could not piece them together. In that instant, everything went black.

* * *

Naruto awoke in a strange bed, in a strange room, with a stranger standing beside, looking down at him. The stranger was an old man with white hair that spread oddly on the right and left sides of his head. His forehead revealed his hairline to be receding and he had a goatee as white as his hair. His body hunched slightly and his face was full of wrinkles and moles. The old man spoke, "Finally awake I see."

Naruto slowly lifted himself up. His head throbbed a little and his stomach felt queasy, but he seemed to be okay. "Where am I?" he asked.

"You are in a hospital located downtown. We had to bring you here after you were attacked," he said. "You're lucky we got to you in time." He smiled gently and patted Naruto on the head.

Naruto tried to remember what had happened to him the evening before. He remembered running home in the rain, getting home, and then the sensation of the world falling under him. " I… I can't remember much." He thought hard for a moment. "Oh yeah! Some guy attacked me. I remember getting home, and then before I knew it I was thrown to the ground and… and he beat me." Naruto's face did nothing to hide his shocked feelings. The old man sensed his shock and tried to lighten the mood.

"Yes, well what matters now is that you're safe. I'm sure it was some mugger who thought he could make a quick buck off a little kid. Don't give it another thought," he said.

"But what if he tries again, or what if someone else attacks me, or what if…"

"I said don't worry about it."

"How can you say that? I'm just eleven! I can't defend myself from people like him." There was a moment of silence. "I can't defend myself from anyone."

No one spoke a word for a few minutes. The old man could sense Naruto's discomfort and he wasn't sure what to say to him. As the silence began to bother him, the old man decided he needed to say something to break the silence; only Naruto beat him to it.

"Hey Gramps," the old man cringed at the word 'Gramps.' "You said 'we.' Who's 'we?'" Naruto asked.

"Why the police of course. They were heading toward your apartment after your latest victim reported his wallet missing. A few police thought it might have been you, so they went to ask you a few questions. Thankfully they got there when they did," he said.

"So are you part of the police force?" Naruto asked.

"No, no. I am a friend of your benefactor. He couldn't be here to see you so I came in his stead," he said.

"So you know my relative." Naruto shot up in excitement. He always wanted to know about his mysterious benefactor. "Can I see him, what's he like, he must be rich, will he adopt me, what's he look like-" The old man suddenly cut him off.

"Enough! No more questions. I am sorry but I am not allowed to tell you anything more." Naruto tried to butt in. "No butts. I made a promise and I intend to keep it." The old man looked into Naruto's pouting eyes. He could tell this kid was a pro; a pro at coning people, but the pouting child would not sway him so easily. "I'll give you a consolation prize though." Naruto perked up at 'prize.' "Since you are so worried about being attacked again, how about taking a self-defense class?"

Naruto went from excited to puzzled. "A self-defense class?" He said. "Tch, yeah, like I really can learn to defend myself from muggers in a children's self-defense class." He flopped his head back down on his pillow. "Those things never work."

The old man chuckled slightly, "That may be true" he said, "but I can guarantee that this is no ordinary class." He looked straight into Naruto's eyes. His stare, though firm, made Naruto feel as though he could trust this man.

"You can guarantee…" Naruto asked.

"I give you my word that you will come away from this class as something you never thought you would be."

Naruto thought, 'What the heck.'

* * *

The alarm clock went off again with its usual annoying sounds. She read the time, 7:00 am. She begrudgingly pulled herself up from her comfortable pillows and smashed her fist on the alarm to turn it off. She hated getting up this early but she knew she had to get used to it. After all Pre-Ninja Training was only a few days away. She dragged her feet to the shower, showered, and then dragged her feet to her closet. She picked out her usual attire, something in crimson, and laid it out on her bed. Haruno Sakura lived a nice life. She had fine clothes, good food, and a great home. These were just some of the benefits of being the Hokage's adopted daughter.

"Lady Sakura are you ready? I need to clean your room today," a maid asked outside her door.

"Just a minute!" Sakura replied.

Sakura looked at herself in the mirror. She loved everything about herself, her looks, her smarts, and her physique… Except the one thing that always bothered her was her seemingly large forehead. She always complained to her Papa, the Hokage, about it, but he would always tell her it was a sign that she had a big brain and needed space for it. She sighed and tried to comb over it the best she could. After getting dressed, she called for the maid to enter.

"Thank you for waiting," Sakura said.

"Not at all young lady. Oh, and before you leave," she stopped Sakura before she left the room, "please stop by the master's office. He wishes to discuss something with you."

"Oh, okay thanks."

Sakura turned and headed into the halls of the Hokage estate. She passed by several workers, maids, businessmen, and always gave a smile and a hello to those she passed. She went upstairs, and to her side, some workers were working on some reconstruction of a broken wall. After walking by a few doors, she came to the Hokage's office.

She knocked twice. "Enter," she heard someone say. She opened the door and walked inside.

"You wanted to see me Papa," she said.

"Ah yes, come Sakura, sit down." She did as told. To her left was a tall man with silver hair that grew to the left and who wore his headband over his left eye. To her right was another tall man. He had brown hair and a beard that ran down from his hair. She recognized him as Uncle Asuma.

"You two may leave now." The Hokage motioned for the men to leave. They turned and headed out the door, closing it as they left.

"What was that about, Papa?" Her head turned toward the door as she asked.

"Nothing you need concern yourself with. Now…" Sakura turned her head back to her Papa. "There is something I would like to discuss with you before you begin Pre-Ninja training." The old man took a pipe out of a drawer, lit it, and brought it to his mouth. "As you know, this Pre-Ninja training is designed to find new talent in youth not associated with any clans." Sakura nodded, showing she understood. "Most, if not all, the kids there won't know the truth about the program until several weeks into it."

"I realize that Papa, but what does that have to do with me?"

" I'm getting to that. My goodness, have some patience." Sakura blushed. She was not used to her Papa scolding her. " Now, you will have an advantage over the other kids. You have had prior training and I don't want you showing off. Show a little restraint, fail purposely now and then…"

"But Papa I…"

"At least… until they get into more complex material. This is a sensitive situation. I cannot afford information about this training to go public, you of all people should understand that." He got up from his chair and walked to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, looked her straight in the eyes and smiled proudly. "I am sure you will do well. Make me proud Sakura." He bent down and kissed her on her forehead.

"Oh. Papa stop…" Sakura blushed.

"Now run along and get to work on your training. Go on, scoot." He hurried her off her chair and out the door.

"Bye Papa." Sakura waved.

"Bye, bye sweetie." He waved back and closed the door.


	2. Training Days pt1

Disclaimer – I do not own any characters except for the ones I created.

**Chapter 2 – Training Days pt. 1**

Naruto stared up at the building in front of him. It looked like a normal gymnasium, probably because it was. He checked his watch, which read five past two. He cursed himself for being late. The old man told him not to be late, but how was he supposed to know the only way to the building was through an alley. Reluctantly, he pushed open the doors and stepped inside. Instantly, the group inside all turned to stare at him.

"Who are you?" One of the adults asked.

Naruto nervously answered, "Oh, um… I'm Naruto. I was told to come here by two, but I couldn't find the place, and the traffic was horrible, and my alarm didn't go off, and I…" He spat out a few more unlikely excuses before another adult cut him off.

"Do you have your permission slip?"

"My what?"

"Your permission slip. A parent or guardian was supposed to sign it to say they agreed on you taking the course." Naruto gave him a blank stare. "Well! Do you have one?"

"I would, if I had any parents," Naruto said. The adults looked at each other, not sure what to make of the strange blond haired kid.

"You said your name was Naruto, correct?" Another adult spoke up this time. He had brown hair that ended in a bushy ponytail and a small, but noticeable, scar that ran horizontally across the base of his nose.

"Yeah," Naruto replied.

"Well Naruto I'm sure there's no harm in you sitting in for today. We aren't going over anything complex and we were just introducing ourselves. Come on over and sit by me." He motioned Naruto to come sit.

"Iruka I can't say I agree with you on this." Another man spoke up. "If he doesn't have a slip I don't think he should be here. Besides, the higher ups might get mad at you."

"Don't you worry about them Mizuki. I'm sure it will work out."

"Tch, whatever."

By this time, Naruto had already taken a seat next to Iruka. He looked up at the young man, who could not have been older than his early twenties. Iruka looked back at Naruto and smiled, making Naruto blush and turn his attention to the woman at the front of the group.

"As I was talking about, this class is designed to teach you all how to defend yourselves. As you all know, there is the possibility of some of you dropping from this course if we feel you are not meeting our standards. We will test you without your knowledge, and if you do not pass you will not continue."

This may have been Naruto's first self-defense class, but something about what she was saying did not make much sense.

"My name is Momo-sensei, this…" she motioned to the man on her right, "is Mizuki-sensei, and this…" she motioned to the man next to Naruto, "is Iruka-sensei. We will be your trainers for the duration of the program."

Afterwards the kids split into three groups, one to each sensei. Naruto, to his relief, was in Iruka's group. The kids began their lesson with meditation, which Naruto found boring, and then moved on to simple martial arts. The kids practiced punches, kicks, and blocks. Naruto for the most part was bored out of his mind at the pace of the class. Living as a thief, he had picked up a few basics of self-defense and he was hoping that the class would have provided more than simple exercises. At three-thirty, the kids spilt up again, this time into pairs. Naruto paired up with a pink haired girl who seemed just as bored as he was. They bowed and introduced each other.

"Hi, I'm Haruno Sakura," the girl said. "Nice to meet you."

"My name's Naruto," he replied.

"Is that your family name?"

"No," he replied.

"Then why didn't give that first? It's impolite to give your given name first."

"Not like it matters anyway," Naruto said as he shrugged.

"Of course it matters. Didn't your parents teach you manners?" Sakura replied.

"No. And I'm getting sick of your voice, mind shutting up for a while?"

Sakura gave him a dirty look. He did not care; he was not interested in making friends. The instructors gave the signal for the kids to begin. Because of their little conversation, Naruto had no idea what was going on. That did not stop Sakura, who wanted to get back at him for his rudeness, from launching into the sparring. Although, she attacked him faster and harder than what the instructors wanted.

Sakura came at Naruto with a swift punch to his stomach. Although their sensei told them not to make the blows connect, she figured that accidents happen. Unexpectedly, for Sakura at least, Naruto reacted to her blow by slipping to the side. Caught off-guard by his quick movement, Sakura was unable to stop the punch delivered to her face, and she fell to the floor.

Naruto did not have much time to gloat before Sakura, enraged, came at him in fury. He was able to dodge a few punches, but Sakura's training eventually won, and Naruto wound up on the floor.

"What the hell are you to doing?" Iruka came running over and picked Naruto off the ground. His nose bled slightly and he had a bruise on his right cheek. "Miss Haruno, why did you attack your fellow student?"

"Well he started it. He hit me first," she replied.

"No way, she started it. She just came at me and I was just defending myself. That's what this class is about, right?"

Iruka took both of them by the arms and dragged them to the other side of the gym. He sat them there, told them not to move, and turned around to discuss what to do with Momo and Mizuki.

Naruto and Sakura sat there, starring at opposite walls. It was obvious they hated each other. Naruto saw her as a stuck up bitch. Sakura saw him as a pompous punk. They sat there brooding over each other until Iruka came back around.

"We talked it over and we are going to inform your parents about this little fight you two had," he said.

Sakura looked appalled. "You can't call my Papa. He'll kill me if he finds out what I did." She stood up abruptly, "Please don't tell him. Besides, it was his fault anyway." She pointed at Naruto, who stood up quickly in anger.

"Yeah right, you came at me first with that punch to my stomach." He then looked at Iruka. "Besides I already told you I don't have any parents."

"We are well aware that you have no parents. But I am sure your _benefactor_ would like to hear about this little incident, wouldn't you agree." He smirked as Naruto's ears perked at the word 'benefactor.' Naruto wondered how this guy knew about his relative. Had they been spying on him? Did they already have information on him? Or maybe… "Until that time you both are to sit here for the rest of the lesson. If I hear as much as one loud voice, I will personally come over here and shut your mouths with a clamp. Got it?"

"Yes sir," they said simultaneously.

Time passed. Naruto and Sakura sat there, backs turned toward each other, saying nothing. Sakura turned her head slightly to look at the blond haired punk. For some unknown reason, she felt as though she met him before. She shook off the feeling as being déjà vu. She sighed heavily.

"Mind not doing that?" Naruto suddenly said.

"Why? Is my sigh too annoying for your ears?" she replied.

"Listen you little bitch…"

"What did you just call me?"

"You heard me you…"

They both stopped and turned toward the instructors. They were sure Iruka had been looking at them, but his attention seemed to be with a group of students. In light of this, they returned to their original positions, just in case. By four, all the kids had left for home… all but two. Naruto and Sakura still sat there, waiting until they could get up. The gymnasium doors opened and a figure stepped through them. Both kids recognized the figure instantly. It was the old man who helped Naruto a few days ago.

"Papa!" Sakura jumped up and ran to the old man, who embraced her with a hug.

"Papa?" Naruto thought aloud. "Wait a sec. You mean you are _his_ daughter."

Sakura looked at Naruto and then back at her Papa. "Do you know him?"

The old man looked straight at Naruto. He smiled and said, "We are acquainted."

Before Sakura could probe any further, Iruka walked up to them. His face was stern as he held out a piece of paper to the Hokage. The old man took the paper and read it. He looked down at Sakura and then to Naruto, his face no longer happy. Sakura had forgotten why he was here, but her memory caught up with her and she became worried. Iruka called for Naruto to come over, which he did begrudgingly.

The Hokage spoke, "Would you two like to explain how this happened?" Both kids began to tell their side of the story. The Hokage held up his hand to signal them to stop. "One at a time. You go first Sakura."

Sakura told her story, paying extra attention to point out how rude Naruto was and how he insulted her. It was then Naruto's turn to tell his side. He told his story, putting special emphasis on the sucker punch Sakura sent at him. The Hokage listened intently to both stories. After Naruto told his side, the old man took a moment to decide what to do.

"It seems to me Naruto, that you do not have any manners. It is understandable, considering the conditions under which you have been living. However, this does not excuse the fact that you hit someone unwarrantedly. Therefore, I propose, as the representative of your benefactor, that you begin living with someone in order to learn some etiquette."

Naruto, jaw hitting the floor, stared blankly at the Hokage. He was speechless. How could this _old geezer_ tell him what to do? He was about to propose that very question, but the old geezer interrupted him.

"Before you ask me if I can do this, remember that I am the only one keeping a roof over your head and the cops off your ass." The old man smiled at that last remark.

Blackmail. The old man was using blackmail on a kid. Naruto was confused. Just a few days ago, he thought he could trust this old man. Now, here he was, blackmailing him into living with someone. A thought crossed Naruto's mind.

"Where are you putting me?" Naruto asked.

The Hokage gave him a sly smile and said, "Why, with Sakura and me."

Now not only was Naruto's jaw on the floor, but Sakura's as well.

"Papa, you can't be serious. How could you let someone like… like him, into our house? He's a punk!"

"I may be a punk, but at least it's better than being a stuck up bitch."

Sakura made to slap him, but the Hokage beat her to it. The force of the slap sent Naruto to the floor.

"What was that for?" Naruto questioned.

"I will not have you using that kind of language under my care."

"But I'm not under your care."

"As of now, you are. Iruka…" Iruka stood at attention with a 'yes sir.' "Please escort Naruto home and prepare his belongings to be moved."

"Right away. Come on you." He picked Naruto off the floor and dragged him out of the gym.

The Hokage and Sakura stared at the site of a young man dragging an eleven-year-old boy out of a gym. Both laughed slightly.

"Did he really dodge your sucker punch Sakura?"

"Yeah Papa, it was really weird I… Oh man."

"You are grounded for a week."

* * *

The alarm went off with a sickeningly high beep. He smashed it with his fist to turn it off. He looked at the time, 7:00 am, too early to rise. He turned his head around and left for dreamland. He did not make it to dreamland though. A series of loud metallic 'bangs' brought him back to reality. The sudden rush of his senses sent him flying forward in bed, only to have him fall face first on the floor at the foot of his bed.

"Time to get up sleepy head. You have a busy day ahead of you," said a sickeningly sweet voice.

Naruto lifted himself off the floor and sleepily stared at his dream assassin. Sakura, a ladle in one hand and a frying pan in the other, retuned his stare with a bright smile. It was her duty to make sure he was up on time and she loved it. Over the course of one week, she had found several different ways to cause him stress and interrupt his sleep. Of course, Naruto's life had changed quite drastically in that one week.

After his forceful removal from his home, Naruto came face to face with the realization that there was more to the old man than he let on. The site of the estate from which he would be living was the first clue. The second was the fact that everyone who came to the estate always referred to the old man as Hokage, a word he did not know. However, the biggest clue, which really was an explanation, came when a servant told him what the word Hokage meant. Naruto decided to confront the old man. What he found out blew his mind.

"Are you clean yet?" Sakura yelled through the bathroom door.

"I'll be out in a sec, sheesh," Naruto replied.

"Just make sure you're down in the dojo in ten minutes. If you're late, Ebisu will make you do two hundred pushups again."

Naruto brushed his teeth, while cursing his luck. A few days ago, the world made sense. Now he confronted a whole world hidden from him. Of course, it was only 'hidden' because he never bothered to learn about the world anyway. The old man, who now demanded that Naruto refer to him as Hokage, revealed the world of ninja to Naruto. He explained that he, the Hokage, was the commander of the ninja in the Fire Country. The role of ninja, he explained, focused around assassination and infiltration, but they took on other roles as well. Naruto had been 'chosen' to learn the ways of the ninja, and take his place in society. Now, he had been training with a so-called ninja named Ebisu. Naruto despised him because he always treated him like trash.

Nine minutes later, Naruto found his way to the dojo. Sakura was already meditating while Ebisu was tending to some equipment in the corner.

"You're on time for once," Ebisu suddenly said. Naruto was always amazed that the man knew Naruto entered the room even when he made no sound. "Please take a seat and begin your mediation." Without turning, he motioned Naruto to sit next to Sakura.

Naruto complied. He never understood meditation, or the purpose behind it. Ebisu mentioned it had something to do with training one's chakra. When Naruto asked him what chakra was, Ebisu gave him a complicated response that no eleven-year-old would understand. Naruto sat next to Sakura, straining to clear his mind of the world around him. It was always hard for him, because either Sakura or Ebisu had a tendency to startle him for laughs.

After some pointless meditating, Ebisu called for them to stand for physical exercises. Now Naruto could have some fun. Growing up as a thief, he had to stay in good condition if he hoped to stay away from his pursuers. Despite Sakura's training before hand, Naruto seemed to best her when it came to physical endurance and aerobics.

Then came martial arts training, which Naruto liked and despised. He liked the concept, but hated his trainer. Ebisu constantly belittled his abilities and always compared him to Sakura. Although he was making progress, Naruto could not help but wonder if Ebisu was purposely holding him back. Today, however, seemed to be moving along smoothly. That is, until Naruto made a slight mistake and tripped.

"What in the world are you doing? Are you trying to embarrass me?" Ebisu yelled.

"What? I just tripped. Give me a break."

"A break…a break! Listen you pathetic nobody, I've been working me ass off trying to whip you into shape. How do expect to become a ninja with those skills? You trip over yourself, you're slow, and you can't even meditate correctly." He pushed his sliding glasses back towards his face. "Just look at Lady Sakura here. She has perfect balance and is well on her way to controlling her chakra…" Naruto, sick and tired of this belittlement, blew up at Ebisu.

"Sakura this and Sakura that, I… am… sick of it. One, I have only been training for a week, two, you've never given me a decent explanation of chakra, and three, you constantly compare me to someone who has been training in this stuff for most of her life." He took in a large breath before continuing, "Not to mention the fact that you never seem to notice when I best Sakura in aerobics, or the fact that I have begun to catch on in my martial arts training. All the hel… all you ever do is insult me. Why? What have I ever done to deserve this?" Naruto stared up at Ebisu, whose eyes lay hidden behind his dark glasses.

"You want to know," Ebisu said as he took off his glasses, something he never did. "You want to know why I treat you like this?"

Naruto saw it in his eyes. The same look his foster parents gave him. It was such a cold stare.

Ebisu continued, "The reason, you little punk, is because you are nothing more than a mons…" A voice cut him short.

"That is enough Ebisu," a voice came from behind them. All three turned to see the Hokage standing by the door. His face showed he was most displeased. "Ebisu, I put you in charge of training them because you are one of the best. However, it is clear to me that you can not forget the past." He looked at Naruto before continuing, "Therefore, I am placing Naruto's training under someone with a little more… tolerance." He moved aside and there behind him stood Iruka, Naruto's self-defense instructor.

"Wait a minute, you mean he's a ninja too?" Naruto asked.

"Of course," replied the Hokage. "All three of your self-defense instructors are ninja. It is a pre-ninja training class after all."

The realization that his afternoon class was also ninja related, made Naruto forget the past few minutes. To him, it seemed like everyone was hiding something, and he hated it. What else, he thought, were they hiding from him?

* * *

Some time later, Naruto found himself in another dojo around the estate. This one looked identical to the one he was in before, but this dojo had a couple of windows at opposite sides of the room. This time, however, it was just he and Iruka.

"So Naruto, I understand that you have been progressing well in your training. It's getting kind of late, so we won't spend more than an hour today."

"Um, before we begin Sensei, could you explain something to me?"

"What would you like to know?"

"Could you explain this chakra thing to me? I don't get it."

Iruka looked puzzled. "You mean Ebisu never explained it to you?"

"Nope. All he said is that it was some kind of… spiritual and… physical mana… mana…fiz…tation, or something like that."

Iruka sighed heavily. "I can't believe he told you that. Oh brother." He walked over to Naruto and patted his shoulder. "Instead of just telling you, I'll show you."

Iruka took a few steps back from Naruto. He placed his feet together and interlocked his hands with his index fingers pointing outward. To Naruto's surprise, he quickly moved his hands around into different signs. At the last sign, he spoke, "Transformation technique," and a puff of smoke enshrouded him for a moment. Naruto's eyes widened when the smoke cleared and he came face to face with himself. For a moment, Naruto was speechless.

"Surprised?" Iruka asked. A moment later, his body became enshrouded again and was back to normal.

"That…is…so…cool! How did you do that? Can I do that? What was with those hand signs...?" He droned on for a few minutes while Iruka patiently listened. Eventually, Naruto settled down as he ran out of breath.

"All will be explained in good time. But for now, why don't we begin practicing a technique for drawing out your chakra." Iruka pulled a leaf from his pocket and handed it to Naruto.

"What's this, a leaf? What am I supposed to do with this?"

"It's quite simple. Simply place the leaf on the palm of your hand, like so," he showed Naruto how to hold the leaf, "and focus your mind only on the leaf."

Naruto looked at the leaf, puzzled. "Sensei, I don't get it. How is focusing on the leaf supposed to accomplish anything?"

Iruka chuckled, "We will discuss that later. For now, just close your eyes and picture the leaf in your hand. Think of it as meditation with a goal."

Naruto still didn't understand, but he figured trying would not hurt anything. He spent his remaining time focusing on the leaf. To his surprise, he felt like he could focus better than he had been. It was the most relaxed he had felt in days.

"That's enough for today," Iruka said. He shook Naruto out of his mediation.

Naruto looked up at the clock on the wall and realized it was almost lunchtime. He quickly grabbed his things and made for the door. He stopped short of the door, turned around and bowed to Iruka.

"Thank you for the help Sensei. Mind if I keep the leaf?"

"Go ahead," Iruka waved him away, "I've got plenty."

Naruto waved goodbye and ran out into the estate halls. Iruka stared at the empty door and smiled.

"That kid is going to be a handful."

* * *

Naruto was happy to finish training for the day. He did not have to train with the class today, and since it was summer, he did not have to worry about school. He ran through the hallways of the estate turning this way and that. He slowed down only when he was in danger of hitting a wall. At last, he made it to his destination, the kitchen. He loved lunchtime because he could meet up with his favorite worker at the estate, the head cook. Naruto screeched to a halt, startling a couple of maids and causing them to almost spill the trays of food in their hands. The head cook was prepared for Naruto's entrance with a quick outstretched arm to grab him.

"How many times have I told you not to rush in here like that? I have a good mind to not feed you today." Naruto looked up from the arm and smiled at the obviously ticked off face of the head cook. Lilith, the head cook, was a young woman who had moved into the Hokage estate one month before Naruto had. She had blonde hair, and as Naruto noticed, had a slightly paler and different hued skin than everyone else.

"Sorry Lilith, but I just love gourmet ramen day. Especially the ramen that you make." He pushed himself from her arm and gave her a sad, puppy-eyed face, "besides, if you didn't feed me, I would have to scrounge the street looking for food," he gave a few fake sniffles, "and then I'd be only skin and bones and would wither away to dust."

Lilith looked at him sternly, she fell for that routine a few times before, but today was going to be different. After a few moments of staring, she finally gave in. "Fine, you can eat," she sighed. Naruto quickly perked up from his saddened state, "but if you run in here like that again, I am going to show you what the back end of my frying pan can do to your behind. You here me?"

Naruto nodded in agreement. He already had his hands out, waiting for a bowl. His face lit up with excitement when she handed him a big bowl of gourmet pork ramen. Naruto greedily inhaled the steam that rose from the bowl. The sweet smell of gourmet ramen brought tears to his eyes. In no time, he began to devour the bowl of ramen, and in no time, the bowl was empty, save a few drops of soup.

"More please." He lifted the bowl to Lilith, expecting seconds.

"Like hell," she replied quickly. "You're not the only one who has to eat around here. If you want seconds you'll just have to wait until everyone else has had their chance, alright." She turned her head to him only to find that he was spooning himself seconds. If Naruto had been paying attention, he would have seen a few veins breaking on Lilith's head. He also would have noticed her getting into a battle stance, with her hands cupped together at her side. Of course, he was not paying attention, and he only realized his mistake when he turned to face her. By that time, it was too late and she threw her arms forward at his chest yelling "Manbou Battle Roar!" In the next second, Naruto left the ground as a powerful force threw him back. He flew a good distance in the air and came down hard on the ground, sliding a few meters.

"When I say no seconds, I mean no seconds. You got me?"

Naruto tried to stand with some difficulty. He was able to stand straight when Lilith helped him up, but his head still felt dizzy.

He managed to get a few words out though, "How did… you… do that?"

Lilith gave him a smug look, "what, you think ninja are the only ones who can use chakra? Perhaps now you'll think twice before pilfering in my kitchen." She brushed some of the dirt off his clothes. "Just be glad I didn't use my full force on you." She looked him over, and after she was sure he had no serious bruises, she pushed him towards the exit door. "Now run along and stay out of trouble."

Naruto stood at the doorway for a few seconds, his mind working overtime to piece together the past couple of minutes. He then turned to Lilith who was still staring at him. A thought rushed into Naruto's head and he spoke without thinking.

"Do you think you could teach me how to do that, Lilith?"

She looked at him puzzled, "do what?"

"You know, that 'Manbou roar thing' or whatever. Would you teach me how to do it?"

Lilith's puzzled expression disappeared as she began to laugh, laugh hard. Her laughter then faded and her face was stern.

"No," she said.

"But why not?" Naruto asked.

"Because I am a cook, not a teacher. I don't have time to teach you how to fight, that's why you have trainers. Besides, my techniques are based off of my cooking, and you are trying to be a ninja, not a cook."

"But that move would be so cool to use. I would be like, 'mabou battle yell' and they would be like, 'augh' as they fly away, and I would be like, 'take that,' and it would be so cool."

She continued to stare at him earnestly, "first of all, it's _Manbou Battle Roar_, and second, as I stated before, you are training to become a ninja, not a cook. Besides," she turned back to the ramen, to pour it into bowls, "it took me years of practice to master those techniques, and I don't plan on passing them down to someone who can't respect my kitchen."

Naruto ran up to her and begged, "Oh come on. I swear I'll be good. I won't run in the kitchen again, I'll wait for seconds, I'll help you clean, please, anything."

Lilith looked down at the pleading boy. She sighed and bent down so their faces were level. "So you really want to learn from me?" she asked.

Naruto nodded vigorously, "Uh huh, I really, really want to learn how."

"Alright," Naruto's eyes widened in excitement, "but you have to learn to cook first."

Naruto froze in position. 'Learn to cook,' he thought.

"Be here tomorrow before lunchtime. If you show up, we will begin your training. If you don't show up, then I'll assume you decided against learning and you may never ask me to train you again. Have a nice day now." She patted him on the head, turned him toward the door and pushed him out the kitchen. Naruto remained frozen in place. He remained like that until the gossip of a couple of maids brought him back to reality.

"That head cook sure is violent," one said.

"Yes I know. But what can you expect from a foreigner, and a northerner at that," the other said.

Naruto walked off, deciding not to inquire as to what they meant. However, the strange words, 'foreigner' and 'northerner,' stuck in his head. Forgetting to pay attention to his surroundings, he unexpectedly plowed right into Sakura on her way to the kitchen.

"Ow, watch it… oh it's you," she said.

"Yeah sure, sorry," Naruto said with little attention.

"Well don't let it happen… Hey! Don't walk off when I am talking to you!"

Naruto turned around, finally realizing he was talking to Sakura. "Hey, Sakura."

"What?"

"What does foreigner mean?"

She gave him a puzzled look, "What?"

"Well the maids called Lilith a foreigner and a northerner. What do they mean?"

Sakura thought for a moment before answering. "Well, a foreigner is someone not from the same country and a northerner would be someone from up north. Therefore, she comes from another country up north. Why, is something wrong?"

"Err, no, it's nothing. I was just wondering. Thanks." He continued down the hall away from the kitchen.

Sakura stood there for a moment, completely stunned.

"Did Naruto just thank me?"

* * *

Author's note – For those who don't know, Lilith is a character from the game, _Tales of Destiny_, for the PS2. She is the main character's sister and uses a ladle, a frying pan, and various "cooking" skills to battle. You may not know of it because it was only released (officially) in Japan.


End file.
